Cawley, Mary Ann
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- Meet Mrs. Cawley
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Degrees and Certifications:
B.S. Biology -Major in Human Biology M.A.in Education - Major in Early Childhood Education Highly Qualified Teacher-Secondary Education Provisional Adult Education *SAI Teacher Ambassador 2019 * USPTO Teacher Ambassador 2019 * National Agriculture in the Classroom Scholarship Recipient 2021-2023 2013 Teacher of the Year Yuma County 2017 DBacks Teacher of the Year 2019 Deer Valley Teacher of the Year 2021 Agriculture Literacy State Winner FIRST Lego League Coach (2013-Present) Chief Science Officer Advisor (2016-2020)
Mrs. Cawley
I am Mary Ann Cawley and it is my pleasure to be your child's 8th Grade Science & STEM Teacher. This year marks my 21st year of teaching and also my 9th year at Sonoran Foothills School. I was born in the Philippines but grew up in the Middle East (Oman), where my parents used to work as nurses. I attended Elementary and Highschool in Oman and moved back to the Philippines to continue my education. I had always wanted to become a Doctor (Pediatrician) when I was a child, and that was why I pursued a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, at De La Salle University and majored in Human Biology. I graduated from college in 2001 and then attended Medical School. After finishing a year, I realized that it was not the path that I was supposed to take. I decided to enter the Educational Field and complete my Masters's in Education in 2005 at the same university with a major in Early Childhood Education. I began my teaching career at a private school in the Philippines where I taught for 5 years.
In 2008, I was given a chance to come to the United States to teach at Somerton Middle School, which is located southeast of Yuma. I taught 8th Grade Science for 7 years, including 2 years of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) for 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade levels. I was a Robotics Coach for 3 consecutive years, a Science Lead Adviser, and developed a Science curriculum for our migrant students. I also taught a GED Science class during my last year at Somerton. I participated in a wide range of Professional Development/training, as I firmly believe that a teacher must never stop learning. Last summer, I attended my 3rd National Conference on Agriculture held in Orlando, Florida. I developed a passion for integrating Ag literacy into my curriculum and I can't wait to share it with my students.
The highlights of my teaching career include: being Awarded the 2013 Yuma County Teacher of the Year for Jr High/Middle School category; taking my Robotics kids to represent the state of Arizona at the World's Festival in St. Louis, MO. where they competed against 33 countries around the world and 33 other states in the U.S., a finalist for the 2014 STEM Teacher of the year for Arizona, received an onfield recognition for the Most Valuable Teacher award for the month of August through the Dbacks Foundation, awarded the FLL (First Lego League) Coach Award in the State of Arizona on 2018, received another on-field recognition through the Dbacks foundation as 2018 Dbacks Teacher of the Year and awarded an Honorable Mention for ASTA's 2019 Teacher of the Year for the Middle School category. In the same year, I was awarded Teacher of the Year by the Deer Valley Education Foundation, and just last year, I was the STATE Literacy Winner in Agriculture.
When not at school, I enjoy being a wife to my loving husband, who is a motorcycle rider and a garden enthusiast. As my husband tells me, he does the planting and I do the cooking! We do have a 1-year-old kitten "Starling" and we love her to pieces.
I am very excited to be part of your child's educational journey. I believe that every child can reach their potential if they are given the proper guidance and motivation. In my class, they will not only appreciate science, but they will be critical thinkers, problem-solvers, and creators of innovative solutions. They will be collaborators and mentors to their peers. At the end of the year, my only hope is to inspire your child to excel in the field of Science and hopefully choose a STEM-related career.
"Perfection is not attainable, but in the pursuit of perfection we can catch excellence." - Vince Lombardi